Samara invited those who have a long association with the Bimblebox Nature Refuge as well as the Bimblebox artists to contribute to her installation Meanwhile…at Bimblebox. Like a huge pin board, this wall of information displayed images, texts, sketches, postcards, stickers, quotes, letters, news clippings, poetry and more. During the exhibition viewers were also invited to contribute to this artwork by typing a letter and posting it in the gallery.

Meanwhile at Bimblebox (detail), Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Meanwhile at Bimblebox (detail), Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Meanwhile…at Bimblebox (detail), Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Meanwhile…at Bimblebox (detail), Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Meanwhile…at Bimblebox, Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Meanwhile…at Bimblebox (detail), Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Meanwhile at Bimblebox (detail), Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Meanwhile…at Bimblebox (detail), Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Meanwhile…at Bimblebox (detail), Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Meanwhile…at Bimblebox (detail), Samara McIlroy, photo Jill Sampson

Samara explains her approach to Meanwhile…at Bimblebox:

“As one of the artists who couldn’t make it to Bimblebox, I responded to the notion of documenting Bimblebox in other ways. The challenge for me was to think and feel my way into the heart and soul of the place, a location which could only ever be an intellectual map – an abstraction in my head. In visiting Bimblebox in the flesh, I could have feasted on the sights and sounds, indeed, used all my senses. On this occasion, working at a distance, I rely purely on dry visual and audio traces. I am deprived of the taste, feel and smell of Bimblebox.

But I love research, so I spent some time with the tool called Google, investigating all of the ways that mining interests present themselves to the media and the public. I also viewed the counteracting arguments presented by environmentalists and scientists. Online and in the media, this is largely where I believe the battle for Bimblebox will play out.

However, for me, resonance is a crucial component of effective storytelling, but ‘it’ seems to be located nearer the heart than the head. Works such as Titanic Too and Meanwhile…at Bimblebox, using collected voices, images and text in combination, explore the power of story to document place.

Meanwhile…at Bimblebox is intended to be an iterative process, mapping the Bimblebox story for the duration of the Bimblebox Art Project.
The work then becomes a cyclical enquiry which allows me to revisit and reflect on my theme.”

Hi Samara,
I can see how much work you have put into the displayt. I just wish I could have seen it. However this should be possible when the exhibition is shown on the mainland, hopefully within train travel to me. Looking at the display one can only feel a sense of outrage that our Governments, both State and Federal, can even think that mining a Nature Refuge is OK.